One of North America’s most recognizable birds, the Blue Jay, is known for its intelligence, striking blue-and-white plumage, and loud, assertive calls. The Ruby-throated or Anna’s Hummingbird, by contrast, is known for its astonishing speed, tiny size, and aerial agility. When these two species inhabit the same areas, their relationship is often complex and sometimes surprising to casual observers. The question of whether this larger, bolder bird preys on the smaller, faster one involves a look at their respective behaviors and ecological roles.
The Direct Answer: Blue Jay Predation on Hummingbirds
The definitive answer is that Blue Jays do occasionally prey on hummingbirds and their eggs, fitting into the category of an opportunistic predator. While it is not a primary food source for Blue Jays, the predation is a documented part of the natural food web. This behavior is rare concerning adult hummingbirds, which are exceptionally difficult to catch due to their size and flight speed. An adult hummingbird can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour, making it nearly impossible for a Blue Jay to capture one in flight. Predation on the adult birds typically occurs only when the hummingbird is already injured, incapacitated, or resting.
When an opportunity presents itself, such as a hummingbird exhausted at a feeder or tangled in a spider web, the Blue Jay may take advantage. This occasional attack on an adult is secondary to the more frequent targeting of nests.
Understanding the Blue Jay Diet and Behavior
Blue Jays are classified as omnivores and ecological generalists, meaning they consume a wide variety of foods depending on availability. Their diet is primarily composed of vegetable matter, including acorns, nuts, seeds, and fruits, which can make up three-quarters of their yearly intake. They also consume a large number of insects, such as beetles, caterpillars, and grasshoppers, especially during the breeding season to feed their young.
This opportunistic nature is what makes them a potential threat to hummingbirds. Blue Jays are known for their habit of nest raiding, where they seek out and consume the eggs and nestlings of other bird species. While the overall percentage of bird eggs and young in a Blue Jay’s diet is generally low, their predatory behavior is well-established. They are bold and thorough foragers, actively searching trees and shrubs for potential meals.
The Primary Victims: Eggs and Nestlings
The most common scenario of Blue Jay predation on hummingbirds involves the destruction of nests to consume the eggs or newly hatched young. Hummingbird nests are tiny, often less than two inches in diameter, and are typically constructed on thin, downward-sloping branches. The eggs are minute, approximately the size of a coffee bean, and the nestlings are helpless, making them an easy, high-protein meal for a larger bird.
A female hummingbird typically lays only two eggs per clutch, and the nests are often poorly concealed relative to the predatory vision of a Blue Jay. This combination of small clutch size and relative exposure makes the loss of a single clutch to a nest raider a significant event for the tiny bird. The threat posed by jays is so substantial that some hummingbirds have been documented intentionally nesting close to active nests of larger raptors, like Cooper’s Hawks, to deter the jays from foraging in the vicinity.
Contextualizing the Threat: Other Avian Predators
While Blue Jays are a documented threat, they are just one of many predators that hummingbirds face in their environment. A number of other avian species regularly prey on adult hummingbirds, including small, agile raptors like the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Merlin. The Loggerhead Shrike, a songbird known for its predatory habits, also targets hummingbirds.
Other threats include the Greater Roadrunner, which has been observed ambushing hummingbirds near feeders in the southwestern United States. Non-avian predators also pose a threat, such as domestic and feral cats, which are common predators of non-nested hummingbirds near human habitation. Even insects, like the large Chinese Praying Mantis and certain species of dragonflies, have been documented capturing and consuming hummingbirds.